Loss of biodiversity will lead to more pandemics in the future, Prince Charles says

LONDON -- Prince Charles has spoken about his experience recovering from coronavirus, and said that the erosion of biodiversity will contribute to further pandemics in the future.

"The more we erode the natural world, the more we destroy what's called biodiversity, which is the immense diversity of life, plant life, tree life, everything else," he said in an interview with Sky News. "The more we expose ourselves to this kind of danger. We've had these other disasters with SARS and Ebola and goodness knows what else, all of these things are related to the loss of biodiversity."

Prince Charles gave the interview via video call from Scotland, where he has been isolating since the beginning of the pandemic. The royal tested positive for coronavirus in March, at a time where a number of senior figures in British public life, including the prime minister, Boris Johnson, tested positive.

Charles has always been an outspoken advocate for environmental issues, and said that humanity was "paying the price" for the way it has treated the planet.

"It's one of the reasons that I tried to get the point across that we should have been treating the planet as if it was a patient long ago," he said. "So no self-respecting doctor would ever have let the situation, if the planet is a patient, reach this stage before making an intervention."

"I think we're slightly paying the price as a result," he added.

The prince also said he was "lucky" because he "got away with it quite lightly," in reference to his time with the virus.